Support GI Resistance!
Help stop the war... Support of U.S. war resisters currently
seeking sanctuary Canada. What you can do today:
1. Attend or organize an event on January 25-26
2. Sign
the "Dear Canada" letter (if you have not already)
3. Hold a house party to show "Breaking Ranks"
4. Use
these resources to
get friends involved
January 25-26 U.S.-Canada Actions
On Friday, Jan. 25, community members will hold vigils and delegations to
Canadian Consulates in Washington D.C., NYC, Seattle, SF,
LA and elsewhere.
"Army of None" Pacific
Northwest Tour
Co-author David Solnit and Seattle Chapter President of
Iraq Veterans Against the War Chanan Suarez Diaz at events
this week in Tacoma, Olympia, and Vancouver
BC.
Oakland, CA
Benefit Book Release Event Jan. 17
Col. Ann Wright (ret.) presents her new book
"Dissent: Voices of Conscience" with
special guests Daniel Ellsberg and Cindy
Sheehan at
Oakland, CA
Courage to Resist benefit.
Support GI Resistance!
Help stop the war... support the troops with
the courage to resist
Join and support January 25 vigils and delegations in
support of U.S. war resisters currently seeking sanctuary Canada. Actions are
being planned in Washington D.C., New York, Seattle, San
Francisco and Los Angeles.
Supporters will meet with officials at Canadian Consulates across the
United States in order underscore that many Americans hope that the
Canadian Parliament votes (possible as early as February) in favor of a
provision to allow war resisters to remain. Download
and distribute Jan.
25-26 action leaflet (PDF).
Supporting
the war resisters in Canada is a concrete way to demonstrate your
support of the troops who refuse to fight. Help end the war by
supporting the growing GI resistance movement today!
The following day, Saturday, January 26, the War Resisters Support Campaign (Canada)
has called for a Canada-wide mobilization to ensure that
deportation proceedings against U.S. war resisters cease immediately,
and to support a sanctuary provision.
US war resisters gather after hearing victory in Ottawa 12/6/07. Photo:
Lori Hurlebaus / Courage to Resist |
Today the fate of
approximately 200 U.S. war resisters in Canada is at a very critical
juncture. Your support can make a difference. Let the Canadian
government know that you support U.S. servicemembers that are taking a
stand against the Iraq war. They should not deported to face
prosecution for following their conscience and upholding international
law.
On December 6, Courage to Resist organizers attended a
meeting of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration of the
House of Commons in Ottawa that adopted
a motion that was a critical victory for Iraq War resisters seeking
sanctuary. It’s now possible that the
full House of Commons may vote on this resolution as early as February.
However, in the meantime, deportation is becoming a real possibility
for some of the resisters. It is critical to build momentum in the wake
of this important first victory.
In the United States,
supporters are encouraged to join or organize delegations of concerned
community members to visit local Canadian Consulates across the country
on Friday, January 25. Additionally, supporters are urged to hold
house parties, vigils or other public events that day, or the following
day Saturday, January 26 in support of war resisters.
Sign the letter “Dear Canada: Let U.S. War
Resisters Stay!”
Courage
to Resist has sent thousands of International First-Class letters to
Canadian officials on behalf of people living in the U.S. in support of
the war resisters since November. We’ve also collected thousands of
petitions. These will be delivered to the Consulate General of Canada
in San Francisco on January 25. If you have not already done so,
please
sign the letter online today.
In
the past few years, tens of thousands of service members have resisted
illegal war and occupation in a number of different ways—by going
AWOL,
seeking conscientious objector status and/or a discharge, asserting the
right to speak out against injustice from within the military, and for
a relative few, publicly refusing to fight.
While there are
those who would like to dismiss war resisters as "cowards," the
reality
is that it takes exceptional courage to resist unjust, illegal, and/or
immoral orders. For many resisters, it was their first-hand experiences
as occupation troops that compelled them to take a stand.
Host an event or house
party in your community
Gathering friends for a showing of the new film "Breaking
Ranks" is a
easy way to have a discussion and take action by writing letters to
Canadian officials urging them to let U.S. war resisters stay.
Handwritten letters can have a great impact, but you can also sign the letter
on-line or download
and mail the letter yourself . Visit our Canada
campaign resources page for organizer kits, sample letter, posters, and
more.
After you've signed the letter online or mailed your own letter urging
Canadian officials to "Let U.S. war resisters stay!"
write letters of support to the courageous resisters in
Canada.
Send letter of support to resister via:
War Resisters Support Campaign
Box 13, 427 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON M5S 1X7 CANADA
January 25-26 Events: "Let
Them Stay!"
There is still time to organize a delegation to a Canadian
Consulate near you or hold vigils or other public events that day, or
the following day Saturday, January 26 in support of war resisters.
Let us know what you are planning.
Send events to courage@riseup.net
Friday January 25
Keith Mather, David Solnit, Father Louis Vitale,
Steve Grossman,
Gerry Condon, Jacqueline Cabasso, Jeff Paterson, Evangeline Mix comprise
similar delegation to Canadian Consulate on 5/15/06 in San Francisco. Photo
Bill Carpenter |
SAN FRANCISCO
Consulate General of Canada
580 California Street, San Francisco
(four blocks north of Montgomery St BART)
Noon to 1 pm vigil, 1 pm delegation
Sponsored by Courage to Resist
Info:
courage@riseup.net
, 510-488-3559
LOS ANGELES
Consulate General of Canada
550 South Hope Street, Los Angeles
(at Sixth Street next to the LA Public Library)
10am delegation
Sponsored by Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace
Info:
efisher@log-an.com
NEW YORK
Consulate General of Canada
1251 Avenue of the Americas, New York City
12pm-2pm vigil
Sponsored by War Resisters League and Iraq Veterans Against the War-NYC
Info:
youth@warresisters.org
, 212-228-0450
WASHINGTON D.C.
Consulate General of Canada
501 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
(at Constitution Ave)
3 pm rally
Sponsored by DECOI, Iraq Veterans Against the War-DC, Veterans for Peace
Phillip Berrigan Memorial Chapter and Courage to Resist
Info:
outofiraq@riseup.net
View
and print event 8.5"x11" event PDF
SEATTLE
Consulate General of Canada
1501 4th Ave.
Sponsored by Project Safe Haven
Contact for details:
projectsafehaven@hotmail.com
Saturday January 26
TORONTO (CANADA)
1pm Rally
Bloor Street United Church
300 Bloor Street West (Spadina or St. George subway)
Sponsored by War Resisters Support Campaign
Info: 416.598.1222 or visit www.resisters.ca
"Army of None"
Pacific Northwest Tour Underway
New book by Courage to Resist organizer David Solnit and Gulf War objector
Aimee Allison |
"Army of None: Strategies
to Counter Military Recruitment,
End War, and Build a Better World" - A new book by Courage
to Resist organizer David Solnit and Gulf War objector Aimee Allison.
David Solnit and the President of the Seattle Chapter of Iraq Veterans
Against the War Chanan Suarez Diaz
will
be touring the Pacific Northwest January 10 through 20 doing events,
outreach and
organizing. Please meet with
them. Let's make plans to help stop the war by supporting GI
resistance!
Thursday, January 10 - Tacoma, WA
12 noon at South Puget Sound Community College
Info: David Hyde, dhyde@spscc.ctc.edu or
206-778-0650
Thursday, January 10 - Tacoma, WA
6:30 - 8:30 pm
event with a radical folksinger Jes Karper
One Heart Café,
604 Fawcett Ave (right next to The Grand theater)
Info: Tom McCarthy, wandertom@yahoo.com
Friday, January 11 - Olympia, WA
6:30 pm at the Black Box of the Washington Center for the
Performing Arts
Tuesday, January 15 - Vancouver, BC
7:00 pm at the Maritime Labour Centre, 111 Victoria Dr.
Sponsor: Stop the War Coalition
Info: Derrick O'Keefe, sankara83@hotmail.com,
604-271-4764
Wednesday, January 16 - Victoria, BC
Info: Derrick O'Keefe, sankara83@hotmail.com,
604-271-4764
Thursday, January 17 - Portland, OR
Friday, January 18 - Portland, OR
Info: Katie Heald, katieh@riseup.net, 703-859-0038
Saturday Jan 19 - Corvallis, OR
Info: Rebecca Michelin, littlebirdbecca@yahoo.com,
541-829-3379
Sunday Jan 20 - Eugene, OR
Info: Phil Weaver, 541-343-8548, phil@countermilitary.org
For more information and to order the Army of None:
www.couragetoresist.org/armyofnone
www.myspace.com/armyofnonebook
Oakland, CA benefit with
Col. Ann Wright (ret.)
A Courage to Resist benefit book release
event with author...
Colonel Ann Wright (ret.)
"Dissent: Voices of Conscience"
With event special guests Daniel Ellsberg and
Cindy Sheehan
Thursday
January 17
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
First Congregational Church of Oakland.
2501 Harrison Street, Oakland, California (map)
(at 27th Street—across from the new Whole Foods Market)
Join us to celebrate the release of Col. Wright's new book Dissent:
Voices of Conscience (Koa Books, January 2008). Following the event,
this book will also be available from Courage to Resist. More info
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